1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a novel game machine responding to the psychosomatic state of a player and, more particularly, to a xe2x80x98pachinkoxe2x80x99 machine using pachinko balls or a rotary drum type game machine having a rotary drum type graphic pattern combining unit, as will be called the slot machine or xe2x80x9cpachisloxe2x80x9d.
2. Description of the Relevant Art
Generally speaking the pachinko machine using the pachinko balls are widely spread, and pachinko parlors are conducting business as one of the most popular amusements all over Japan.
In the pachinko game, the player buys some pachinko balls and shoots them by a shooting grip of the machine. If one of the balls luckily lands in a rewarding catcher, the player is rewarded with more balls. The shooting grip of the pachinko machine in recent years can shoot the balls continuously in electromechanical manners, and all that is required of the player is to turn the shooting grip. This raises a tendency to make the pachinko game monotonous. Thus, in order to promote the interest of the player and to reward all the players impartially with the rewarding balls, there has been developed and actually used a pachinko machine which is equipped with a game machine incorporating a game factor.
This pachinko machine starts the game machine, if predetermined conditions are satisfied, to determine the responses to be taken by the pachinko game so that the player can enjoy more advantageous game conditions. The pachinko machine of this type attracts the popular favor because the players can be rewarded with more balls independently of their skills.
Thus, the recent pachinko machines are equipped with numerous CPU control units as the electronics technology progresses. Specifically, the game machine packaged in the pachinko machine is substantially operated by the electronics technology, and this operation is controlled by the CPU, i.e., the so-called xe2x80x9cmicroprocessorxe2x80x9d or computer. This computer is assigned a role to compute various pieces of information from the pachinko machine itself or its game machine and to command the pachinko machine a predetermined operation according to a predetermined procedure (or program). However, this means mere electronization of the machine side, and the player can only await the decision made by the computer.
Along with the pachinko machines, a rotary drum type game machine (as is generally called the xe2x80x98slot machinexe2x80x99 or xe2x80x98pachisloxe2x80x99) having a rotary drum type graphic pattern combining unit recently grows popular as an interesting amusement. The player of this drum type game machine inserts a coin into the slot and pushes a start button to turn the graphic patterns of the drum so that he or she may be rewarded with more coils in accordance with the combination of the patterns.
This game machine is also equipped with numerous computer control units resulting from the progress of the electronics technology. Specifically, the rotary drum type graphic pattern combining unit is also substantially operated by the technology, and this operation is controlled and determined by the computer or microprocessor. The role of this microprocessor is to process various pieces of information obtained from the game machine and the pattern combining unit and to command the game machine a predetermined command in accordance with a predetermined procedure (or program). This raises a monotonous play like the pachinko machine.
The electronized pachinko machine and drum type game machine described above are enriched to have more varieties in plays than those of the existing game machines. Despite of this richness, however, the player will also lose interest before long as in the prior art. This is because the responses of the machines will grow monotonous while following the predetermined procedure or program. On the other hand, the human players have their emotions, senses, health conditions and psychosomatic states changed time by time so that they will lose interest for the responses being unchanged at the machine side.
In order to solve the problems of the prior art, therefore, the present invention has an object to provide a game machine which is enabled to make various responses by adding the psychosomatic state and emotion of the player as one of conditions for determining the responding manner.
According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a game machine wherein the psychosomatic state of a player is grasped to change the responses in accordance with the psychological state of the player by making use of both a chaos attractor obtained by numerically processing the information sampled from the player and the index indicating the degree how said chaos attractor matches the defining condition of the chaos.
According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a game machine comprising: a psychosomatic state grasping system including a sensor for fetching data from a player, a chaos attractor generator for calculating a chaos attractor by numerically processing the data fetched by said sensor, and a Ljapunov index calculator for calculating an index indicating the degree how said chaos attractor matches the defining condition of chaos; and changing means for changing the responses of said game machine in accordance with the information indicating the psychosomatic state of the player calculated by said system.
According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided a game parlor comprising: a plurality of pachinko machines each comprising a psychosomatic state grasping system including a sensor for fetching data from a player, a chaos attractor generator for calculating a chaos attractor by numerically processing the data fetched by said sensor, and a Ljapunov index calculator for calculating an index indicating the degree how said chaos attractor matches the defining condition of chaos; and changing means for changing the circumstances of the players or pachinko machines such as the kind, volume or tone quality of music to be serviced, or the brightness or color tone of illuminations in accordance with the information concerning the psychosomatic states of the players and coming from the pachinko machines.
According to a fourth embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a game machine wherein the situation of a player is assigned to a plurality of predetermined levels by utilizing the information sampled from the player, so that the responses of said game machine may be changed according to one of the levels.
The game machine may comprise a rotary drum type graphic pattern combining unit.
As described above, according to the present invention, the psychosomatic state of a player is grasped by comparing the chaos attractor peculiar to the player and obtained by numerically processing the information from the player and the condition defining the chaos whose attractor data are already known and subjected to a predetermined classification, so that the responses to be taken by the pachinko machine may be changed according to the psychological state of the player, thereby to prevent the game from growing monotonous or the player from losing interest.
Moreover, a more comfortable and less tiring game parlor is provided by making a change to the playing circumstances or optimizing the circumstances in accordance with the present situation of the player.
In another game machine to be provided, the present situations of the player are assigned to a plurality of levels on the basis of the information, which is obtained from the player even if it could not satisfy the concept of chaos, so that the responses may be changed in accordance with the levels.
What the chaos is will be described at first. The natural world or an artificial world experiences many predictable phenomena. The position of the Halley""s comet or an artificial satellite can be predicted and responded to. The deterministic predictability in which the cause-result relation is clear is one of the greatest powers of science.
However, the weather forecast seems to be the motion of air following the rules of physics but will not always come true. Even the phenomenon having the unclear cause-result relation has been believed to have random elements but to be accurately predicted if complete parameters describing the system are clear, that is, if the information of the system can be sufficiently collected.
In short, the random phenomena are thought to come from shortage of information of a system having multiple degrees of freedom. It is, however, found out that there is some phenomenon which is deterministic but has a substance of being random, by the discovery that even a simple system having a small number (e.g., three or more) of degrees of freedom may exhibit a random behavior. Ever since, this random phenomenon has been called the xe2x80x9cchaosxe2x80x9d.
Despite of this fact, however, the concept of chaos is not unified yet. Like the theory of evolution, the definition of the chaos covers a wide range, and its concept for some object seems to walk by itself. Hence, we will dare to summarize the concept in the following manner.
The chaos should mean an essentially random phenomenon because it is a system which has deterministic rules but experiences seriously complex behaviors non-linearly. It is also indicated that any phenomenon apparently having neither regularity nor predictability is backed by complex orders or rules.
On the other hand, the topology characterizing the behaviors of the chaos is called the xe2x80x9cchaos attractorxe2x80x9d, i.e., a mathematical structure into which converge the behaviors of the system generating the chaos.
From these viewpoints, the pulse waves detected from human bodies are known to have the chaos behaviors. In the academic society or the like, it has been reported by the authority of this field that the apex pulse waves indicate the psychosomatic information of the chaos. He also has applies for a Japanese patent the medical diagnosis making use of the chaos (as disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 208136/1992).
Thus, the present invention is an applied apparatus which has made positive use of the correlation between the chaos attractor obtained by numerically processing the pulse waves and the heartbeat or bodily temperature sampled from the body and the Ljapunov number indicating the degree how the data match the defining conditions of the chaos. Any other information can be used if it has a correlation with the psychosomatic state of the player.
Therefore, the information of the player is obtained by generating the chaos attractor which is obtained by numerically processing the pulse waves, heartbeats and bodily temperature sampled by the player. Thus, the psychosomatic state of the player can be grasped from the Ljapunov number indicating the degree how the data match the defining conditions of the chaos. The means for sampling the apex pulse waves is exemplified by either a sensor combining an infrared-emitting diode and a photo-sensor or a semiconductor pressure sensor.
The relations between the psychosomatic state and the chaos attractor of the apex pulse waves are summarized, as follows:
(1) The chaos attractor of the apex pulse waves reflects the mental and psychological states sensitively to indicate a specific topology;
(2) The chaos attractor obtained from the pulse waves has a personally peculiar structure over a basic structure common to the human being and changes according to the mental and psychological state and a disease;
(3) Generally speaking, when the metal and psychological states become unstable or when a disease occurs, the overall structure of the attractor becomes simple, and small. Moreover, a mechanical and monotonous periodic structure appears in the rhythm to depart the chaos;
(4) In the healthy state, the overall structure is complex and dynamic, and the local structure also exhibits a complex structure such as rolled, twisted or screwed structures. And, the rhythm becomes aperiodic. In short, the healthy mode is chaotic and is fully occupied by the chaos; and
(5) If the consciousness is concentrated, the chaos attractor is complicated to have the rolled or twisted local structure. On the other hand, if a stress higher than a threshold value is received to invite a fatigue, the structure is simplified to lose the local structure.
According to the concept described, above, the present state of the player is classified into several kinds, according to which the responses of the pachinko machine or the rotary drum type game machine can be made different to provide a more complicated game content. Moreover, since the player has its state changed time by time, the interest of the player can be induced more by changing the responses of the pachinko machine or the game machine accordingly.
The simplest and most preferable portion of the body for obtaining the psychosomatic information of the player to achieve the chaos attractor is the fingertip, palm or arm of the player in dependence upon the shape of the machine being practically used at present. The portion to be sensed should not be limited to the specified ones but may be exemplified in the present invention by any other portion such as the head, buttock or skin of the player.
Likewise, the sensor to be disposed in the game machine can be mounted in various positions such as the ball shooting grip, the ball feed chute or the frame of the machine or the seat of the player. In the sense of modifying the existing machine, the most convenient and inexpensive portion is located the ball shooting grip or the frame of the machine. Thus, the information of the player can be easily obtained by mounting the aforementioned photo-coupler or semiconductor pressure sensor in that portion.
The information of the player thus obtained is arithmetically processed, and it is decided whether or not the processed information matches a predetermined level. The Ljapunov index is then calculated according to the matching degree. This numerical processing and the calculation of the Ljapunov index have to resort to the computer operations, but this processing method and the expression of the processed chaos attractor are not especially restricted in their calculating equations or processing procedures but can be arbitrarily expressed and processed.
On the other hand, the levels determined in advance for calculating the Ljapunov index can be set in many manners according to the classifications of the chaos attractor. If the levels are set to the xe2x80x9cexcited statexe2x80x9d and the xe2x80x9cunexcited statexe2x80x9d, the levels are at two steps. If the xe2x80x9cconcentrated consciousnessxe2x80x9d and the xe2x80x9cdistracted consciousnessxe2x80x9d are added, the levels are totally at four steps. Since the responses of the play are changed according to those four steps, the play can have its content enriched more.
The responses to be taken by the machine on the basis of the information obtained from the player can be conceived such wide ones in case of the pachinko machine, as: the responses concerning the rewarding balls, e.g., the adjusting of the opening of the great-hit catcher after the lucky great-hit condition is satisfied, the change of the great-hit condition, the interval of opening the great-hit catcher; the responses concerning the circumstances of the player, e.g., the kind of music serviced from the machine during the play, the change in the display on the play board face or the change in lighting on the board face; the change in the responses of the shooter, e.g., the change in the initial velocity of the shot balls, the interval of the continuous shooting, or the turning stroke of the shooting grip; or the change in the circumstance for installing the machines. The other various responses can be incorporated into the range of the present invention.
Thanks to the changes in the responses of the pachinko machine within the range of inviting no disadvantage of the probability of rewarding the player the balls, the player can enjoy the change in the play responding to the present psychosomatic state.
The description made above is directed to the application of the concept of the chaos to the single game machine, but the concept can naturally be applied to the entire game parlor provided with a plurality of such machines.
Specifically, the present psychosomatic states of the players using the pachinko machines or the rotary drum type game machines are collected as the information, so that the responses such as the kind, volume or tone quality of the music to be serviced to the game parlor or the brightness or color tone of illuminations of the parlor can be changed on the basis of the collected states either all over the parlor or partially according to the distribution of the players in a specific psychosomatic state.
Thus, the game parlor is featured by promoting the interests of the players in the game to allow the players to enjoy the game under more comfortable circumstances.
Moreover, the description made above is directed mainly to such information obtained from the player as can adopt the concept of chaos. Even if, however, this concept is not applied to the information from the player, the playing quests are assigned to predetermined levels so that the responses of the machines can be changed according to the levels to complicate the game and attract the interests of the players.
Specifically, a temperature sensor is used to measure the present bodily temperatures of the players, and these temperatures are assigned to the predetermined levels. Specifically, the four levels are determined in advance to have ranges of no higher than 36xc2x0 C., higher than 36xc2x0 C. but no higher than 36.5xc2x0 C., higher than 36.5xc2x0 C. but no higher than 37xc2x0C., and higher than 37xc2x0 C., so that the responses to be taken by the machine are changed depending upon what of those four levels the playing person belongs to.
Not only the aforementioned bodily temperature but also the pulse rate, the respiration rate, the surface temperature of the face or the body weight can be employed as the information of the player no matter whether it might belongs to the concept of chaos.